Russia is developing a new version of its air-launched Kinzhal ballistic missile with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead, potentially in response to problems with its accuracy, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) said.
On Monday, Oct. 12, HUR disclosed the assessment alongside an interactive 3D model of the missile and information about its components and manufacturers published on its War & Sanctions website.
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The Kinzhal, designated 9-S-7760 and widely known as the Kh-47M2, currently has two warhead configurations: a penetrating high-explosive warhead designed to breach reinforced structures and a nuclear warhead. Its published specifications list a warhead weight of 450 kilograms (992 pounds).
The proposed modification would add a high-explosive fragmentation warhead, which causes damage through both blast and fragments.
HUR said the development could be directly linked to guidance problems, noting that precision is particularly important for a penetrating warhead intended to strike hardened targets.
Russia significantly reduced its state defense orders for Kinzhal missiles in 2026, redirecting manufacturing capacity, components, and raw materials toward the ground-launched 9M723 Iskander-M ballistic missile, HUR said.
The agency attributed that shift to the Kinzhal’s accuracy problems and limitations affecting the aircraft used to launch it.
Kinzhal missiles are carried by modified MiG-31I and MiG-31K interceptor aircraft. HUR said those aircraft have a limited remaining service life and are no longer manufactured by Russia’s aviation industry.
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The Kinzhal is a single-stage, solid-fuel missile, with an integrated warhead. According to HUR, about 90% of its components are common to the Iskander-M’s 9M723 missile.
Key differences include a tail fairing that separates after the engine starts, a radar seeker described by Russia as capable of operating in all weather, and an active jamming system alongside equipment that releases decoys.
HUR’s online model identifies components including the missile’s radar seeker, navigation equipment, solid-fuel engine, and penetrating warhead, as well as the companies involved in their manufacture.
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